Fecal microbiota transplantation treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus with malnutrition: a case report

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Not only genetics, but the intestinal environment affected by gut microbiota is also the key to pathogenesis. Besides the occurrence of diabetes, gut microbiota dysbiosis may also contribute to the development of diabetes-related complications. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an emerging technique that had shown its potential as a treatment for metabolic disease. Here, we report the first case of T1DM with malnutrition and gastrointestinal symptoms treated with FMT. A 24-year-old T1DM patient suffered from poor blood glucose control, recurrent nausea and vomiting, severe malnutrition, and intractable constipation after insulin treatment. The clinical response of the patients after FMT was well, especially nausea and vomiting were significantly relieved. In addition, constipation, nutritional status, and blood glucose control (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c) gradually improved. A degree of similarity was found in gut microbiota composition between the patient and healthy donor after FMT while it was totally different before the treatment. Furthermore, pathway function analysis of MetaCYC database implies that the potential mechanism of the response of FMT may be driven by specific bacteria involved in several metabolic pathways that need further exploration. To sum up, we believe that the reconstruction of intestinal flora by FMT may be a new choice for the treatment of T1DM patients with malnutrition.